Mark Teixeira: Future Broadcast Hall of Famer

John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, the longtime Yankee radio duo, will become the newest members of the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame later this year.

Sterling has been the radio voice of the Yankees since 1989. He has endeared himself to Yankee fans with his deep, soothing voice and unique idiosyncrasies. The veteran play-by-play man is best known for his calls following Yankee victories, in which he dramatically bellows,”Ballgame over, Yankees win! Theeeee Yankees win!” Sterling has distinguished himself by giving each player a personalized home run call. Perhaps his most famous catchphrase is “An A-Bomb from A-Rod,” following an Alex Rodriguez home run. In his esteemed career, Sterling has called nearly 5,000 consecutive games, including postseasons.

Waldman joined Sterling in the radio booth in 2005, becoming the first full-time female color analyst in baseball history. But she has been a fixture on New York radio since 1987, when she became the first voice ever heard on WFAN. In the years betweeen, Waldman covered the Yankees for the Fan and YES. She also did some play-by-play for WPIX in the 1990s. In 1999, Waldman famously brokered the sit-down between George Steinbrenner and Yogi Berra that ended their 14-year feud. The Yankees eventually hosted a day in Berra’s honor on July 18 of that year, which turned out to be a great day in the history of the franchise for a different reason– David Cone pitched a perfect game.

The broadcasters will be enshrined on June 10 at the Conrad Hotel in New York City.

—

Sterling and Waldman are accomplished broadcasters, no doubt. But of the current crop of Yankee players, who might one day join them in the booth, and possibly the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame? Here are a few potential candidates:

Mark Teixeira
The Yankee first baseman is just the kind of player-turned-broadcaster we’ve become accustom to seeing in sports today. He’s intelligent, well-spoken and has a high baseball IQ. On top of that, he’s always honest when speaking to the media.

And let’s not forget his personality, which was on full display for his YES Network mini-series “Foul Territory.”

Brett Gardner
Gardy is a homegrown Yankee, and the type of player that fans cling to. Yankee fans can relate to a guy that walked onto his college baseball team and eventually turned himself into a Major League All-Star. He always gives total effort on the field. That’s the type of work ethic that’s necessary to become a well-rounded broadcaster, something Gardner could become. We already he know he has an incredible on-screen presence.